Project Background

Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) are an indigenous homelands based, not-for-profit organisation from Cape York, Queensland, aiming to improve the social, cultural,environmental and economic well-being of their community. Port Stewart is a located at the mouth of the Stewart River on land returned to the ownership of the Lama Lama people, and is the home to around 50 Lama Lama people and staff of YAC.

The Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) has been working with YAC and the LamaLama people for over 20 years, most actively since 2009 as a result of facilitating detailed strategic planning and implementation support. CAT and Engineers Without BordersAustralia (EWB) have had a long-term partnership with the Lama Lama People since 2010. The existing water supply system at Port Stewart supports around 50 Lama Lama people living in two homelands (Mojeeba and Theethinji) plus their ranger base and planned tourism facilities. Since the original river intake was destroyed in a cyclone in 2006, the community (and visitors) have relied on an improvised pumping arrangement from the river, which is considered to be below acceptable standards in terms of safety and reliability.

Project Overview

CAT and Arup are working with Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) on the Lama LamaWater Supply Upgrade Project to develop detailed engineering designs and cost estimates for the construction of a new water intake structure and water treatment system in the PortStewart river area to supply residents and facilities at Port Stewart.

Project Outcomes and Benefits

Detailed engineering design and costings for the Port Stewart water supply systems will enableYAC (with the support of CAT) to obtain funding from the ILC to undertake the construction of the upgrade.

The upgraded water supply system will improve the safety and reliability of the water supply for the 50 residents, reducing health risks associated with contamination and unavailability of clean drinking water. It will also reduce the ongoing operational burden and costs associated with the improvised pumping arrangement. The availability of a reliable water supply will also enable YAC to explore and expand tourism opportunities on their land.

Project Update

The project is near completion with construction set to commence in the next dry season (September 2017.)